The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) is pleased to announce that the newly published About MS booklet is now available as both a printed and online publication. MSAA’s About MS: An Overview of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Including Symptoms, Treatments, and Research offers an overview of multiple sclerosis including history, process and symptoms, types of MS, possible causes, diagnosing and evaluating disease activity, relapse management, and FDA-approved disease-modifying treatments. Also included are highlights of some of MSAA’s programs and services available to the MS community.

The American Academy of Neurology’s (AAN’s) 66th Annual Meeting took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania April 26th-May 3rd. The AAN is an association of more than 27,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals dedicated to advancing the care of individuals with neurologic disease. Every year, these professionals gather to hear the latest findings in research and treatments for neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis (MS). To follow are some important highlights.

Genzyme, a Sanofi company, announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Lemtrada™ (alemtuzumab), a proposed treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). This application was recently resubmitted after the FDA did not approve Lemtrada in late December 2013, when Genzyme stated that they had received a Complete Response Letter from the FDA. This letter informed them that the application for their drug was “not ready for approval.”

In the Winter/Spring 2014 issue of MSAA’s magazine, The Motivator, MSAA introduced the concept of biosimilar drugs, defining what they are and how they may impact future treatment options for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). The feature article titled “Biosimilars: Approval on the Horizon” described biosimilars as drugs that are “highly similar” to the approved biologic medications.